Stretching machine



Sept. 8, 1931. J. E. MGCARTHY STRETCHING MACHINE Filed May 31, 1927 4 stumm-sheetv 2 NVENTO MY A? ATTO NEYS Sept.' 8, 1931. .,v. E. MCCARTHY STRETCHING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet I5 Ffiled May 31. 1927 Sep. 8, 1931. v J. E, MQCARTHY 1,822,104

STRETCHING MACHINE Filed May 31, 192'7 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Sept. 8, 1931 i Unirse STATES EPA ENT ori-ICE lJOHN E. Maenn'rirv, er cincmivafri, eine, 'ro funn AMERICAN Lapivnrw MACHINERY COMPANY, OF. CINCINNATL 02H10, `A CORPQIQATION OF QHIQ srnn'ronnve MACHINE Application filed May 31,

This invention relates to stretching machines such as are used for stretching blankets, curtains, or like articles during a drying operation. More particularly the invention relates to that type of machine in which d the stretcher frame is supported in a generally vertical plane and is either portable or adapted to be moved into and out of a dry room, the invention of the present application having to do with the stretcher frame and certain features of the dry room, as shownV and described.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved stretching frame of two layer form, ig'for in other words, adapted upon opposite faces of one frame to stretch two articles or two parts of the-same article while lying in parallel position and, moreover, a. frame of this kind readily adapted for convenient 2o manipulation by the operator regardless of whether two articles are stretched upon its opposite faces or two parts of the same article are stretched thereupon by the use of a return bar around which the article is folded.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a stretcher in which a double blanket, for example, is stretched with its long dimension vertical, the middle po-rtion of the blanket being folded around a horizontal 30 return bar located at the bottom of the frame and adjustable vertically to a convenient height foi-the stretching operation as will appear, with the ends of the blanket attached to horizontal upper bars likewise adjustable to a convenient height, and which also includes the necessary vertical bars for the side edges of the blanket, all or part of vwhich may be adjustable as will appear.

A further object of the invention is to -provide a special form of return bar equipped with guards for the fastening strips carried thereby, such guards being` adjustable to expose or conceal said strips and thereby increase the possible uses of the stretcher, and 4? lalso other guarding` lmeans or doors more or less covering the return bar, according to its position, and serving in one position as a trough to support the blanket while it is being applied to or removed from the frame, and in another position assistingto distribute 1927. lSerial No. 195,532,

the drying air along the blanketffor the drying operation. K

A further object of the invention is genl erally to improve the mechanism for manipulating the various adjustable parts of the stretcher during application the-reto of articles to be dried and facilitating adjusting a-nd holding the fastening `strips in the proper positions according to the size of the article to vbe dried.

In lthe present invention the stretcher has been designed to provide maximum produc-y tion in minimum'tloor space, which is the reason for mounting the stretching frames in vertical planes with a series of such frames in parallel positions neighboring each other, and further so that a double blanket is driedwith its long dimension vertical instead of horizontahwto still further economize floor space. Adjustability of the horizontal fastening strlilps, both bottom Yand top, places them within easy reach of the operator for all inanipulatingor vother purposes, as a result of all of which the present machine very materially increases production in any given area devoted to such machin-es.

rThe drawings for purposes of illustration, show one suitable embodiment of the invention, in which Fig. l is a 'longitudinal sectional ele-vation, partly Abrolen out, illustrating parts of a dry room with a stretching frame therein; F-ig. 2 is a front end elevation of the stretching frame; Fig. 3 is aside elevation, `partly broken out, ofthe front portion l of a stretchin-g'frame; Fig. 4 is a detail sec- 85 tional elevation, on a larger scale, on'fth-e line 4 4, 8; Fig. 5 is a plan view, partly broken out, `of the front portion of a stretcher frame with the upper guide track omitted; Fig. 6 is a rear or end elevation of the stretch- 90 er frame; F ig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the rear end of the frame on approximately the line 7 7, Fig. 6; Fig. 8 'is a detail sectional plan view on approximate-- ly the line 8 8, Fig. 7 Fig. 9.is' a detail sec- 95 tional plan -view on the line 9 9, Fig. 7; Fig.

10 is a detail sectional elevation on .the line lll- 10, Fig. 9, the dot dash lines illustrating a blanket being stretched, and certain guard plates lbeing shown in dotted lines in guard- 100 t5-,let 5 over heating coils in the casing 6, thence -,channels 9 in which travel the rollers 9a.

ing position and in full lines elevated for anotherl use of the stretcher; Fig. 11 is a detail sectional elevation on the line 11-11, Fig. 9; Fig. 12 is a sectional elevation, on the line 12-12, Fig. 13, and also showing a pair of doors on opposite sides of the bottom of the stretcher; Fig. 13l is a bottom view of a portion ofthe frame, illustrating some of the fastening devices for the loop or fold of a blanket; Fig. 14 is a side elevation of the lower portion of the stretching frame, parts being broken away and in section to illustrate interior construction; Fig. 15 is a plan view of the lower portion of the frame; and Fig. 16

is a detail section illustrating the latchingV mechanism for the doors shown in Fig. 12.

The stretching frames of the present invention, two sided to take either two curtains or single blankets or a double blanket or the like folded around an end of the frame, may

be mounted for support in any position, ei-

ther horizontal vertical or otherwise and may be built as independent units 1n fixed posltions or on suitable movable trucks or supports for transporting them from place to place. However, in the embodiment shown in the drawings the stretching frames are illustrated as mounted for movement into and out of a dry room, a series of the frames being arranged to stand parallel to each other to economize space. The dry room, including the room itself and the necessary means for circulating heated air therethrough for drying purposes, is shown and claimed in a copending application of Joseph B. Sande, tiled of even date herewith Ser. No. 195,475, to which reference may be had for more cornplete description thereof if necessary. For the purposes of the present application it is sufficient to say that the dry room includes a suitable stationary enclosing frame or casing 1 upon which is mounted a fan or blower 2 driven by the electric motor 3 through the belt 4, air being drawn bysaid fan from an into the fan and from the outlet of the latter through a hood 7 extending along the top of the dry room, so that a current of air is distributed over the length thereof and moves `,downwardly in the general plane of the curtains or blankets to the outlet 8. In said dry room and extending out beyond the front of the same are the necessary tracks or guides for the stretcher frames, such as the Hoor and the ceiling Ts 10, on either side of the webs of which move rollers 11 of the stretcher frames. rl`hese channels and Ts, extend outwardly from the front of the dry room and are suitably supported to enable each frame shown providing say three frames for each unit of the dry room, enabling the latter to be built up laterally in units of three as increased capacity is desired. A description of a single frame will suffice for all.

Each stretcher frame comprises suitable structural shapes scoured together to form a bottom member 12, a top 13 and front and rear members 14, 15, the latter being covered with sheet metal members, 16 at the front of the frame and forming partof a closure or cover for the dry room when inserted thereinto, and 1'? at the back forming a similar closure when the frame is withdrawn from the dry room, the rear closure 17 being provided with a series of openings 18 to enable the drying air to pass through the end of the frame and reach the outlet. In the rectangular frame thus formed are mounted a series of horizontal and vertical holding bars for the edges of the work. At the back of the frame are two vertical holding bars 19, which may be adjustable horizontally but are shown as fixed immovably on the stretcher frame and located back to back, each being provided with work holding means, such as a strip of card cloth 20 having a series of closely spaced fine wires like brush bristles upon which the edge of the work is pressed. Similar card cloth holding strips are attached to all other work holding bars in the frame and will be understood without further reference thereto, as this card Cloth is a well known material for this purpose.

At the front of the frame the holding bars, marked 21, are again vertical and are arranged face to face with the card cloth facing inwardly or oppositely to members 19. rthey are mounted for adjustment as a unit horizontally or toward and from the stationary rear bars 19, but in a manner to always maintain parallel relation therewith. For this purpose the adjustable front holding unit, including the two members 21, is mounted to traverse back and forth in suitable guides in the stretcher frame. rlhese vertical holding bars are carried by a frame marked 22, Fig. 4, which has a roller 23 traveling in a channel guide 24 on the bottom of the stretcher frame. In said traveling front unit 22 is journalled a vertical shaft 25 having pinions 26 at top and bottom engaging racks 2T suitably mounted on the main stretcher frame, so that as the front holding unit is moved back and forth along its guides its upper and lower ends are harnessed by the pinions and racks to move in unison and to the same amount. Twisting of the lower portion of the unit about a vertical aXis is avoided by fingers 28 which enter and travel in the groove of the channel guide 24. At the upper end of the movable front unit is a bracket 29, Fig. 5, carrying a bearing for shaft 25 and also flanges 30 which ride in the channels of the upper frame bars 13 to prevent twisting of the upperv end ofthe unit. For moving the unitl it is provided with a handle 3l, the brackets for which also include bearings for the shaft 25.

ln the upper portion of the stretcher frame are located two upper horizontal work holding bars 32 placed back to back with the card cloth point-s facing outwardly and cross connected by suitable braces 33. The fixed bars 19 lie in recesses 19a of the horizontal bars as shown in Fig. 9, so that the card cloth surfaces of both bars lie in the same vertical plane. The two upper bars are adjustable vertically together or as a unit. At its opposite ends the unit is guided in the stretcher frame, for example as shown in Figs. 3, 7 and 8 by having its ends provided with saddles 33a, 33?) which embrace and travel along the inwardly projecting channel portions of the end frame members 14 and l5. The operating means for these upper holding bars includes a simple windlass or winding drum 34, Fig. 3, around which is wound a pull chain 35, the drum Abeing actuated by a crank 36 and held in any position of adjustment by a pawl 37 and ratchet 38. The pull chain 35 is shown as provided with two branches Fig. 2, extending over pulleys 39 mounted atthe end of the frame, and extends horizontally across the same to pulleys 40 at opposite ends of the bars 32, to which said cha-in branches are connected. Vvlth this arrangement by releasing the pawlthe upper holding bars may be allowed to descend to any position and there held by the pawl or by operating the crank 86 they may be elevated desired. Spaced alon g the upper holding bars are a number of pointers or indicators 4l, Fig. l, which move with them and are separated at distances corresponding to certain holding feet on the lower holding bars, en-

abling the operator to laterally stretch the ends of a blanket uniformly with the fold at the middle, as will more fully appear.

` Along the bottom of the stretching' frame entends vertically adgustable bottom stretching unit consisting of a bar or bars 42, Fig. 4, to opposite faces of which are attached holding bars 43 with their card cloth strips facing outwardly and normally covered by sheet metal guards 44 hinged along their upper edges as at 45. The bars 42 are of such cross section that their inside edges 42aI extend outwardly beyond the plane of the card cloth on the bars 43 so that in maiiv 7 l.

cases a double blanket folded around bars 42 will not come in contact with the card cloth at the bottom of the frame, as shown in Fig. l0, and the guards 44 are then unnecessary.

vHoweven depending somewhat upon the shape of the bars 42 the guards 44 may be used when desired. Said. guards may be turned to the full line position, Fig. 10, to expose the card cloth strips and enable the ilatter `to be used to complete .the bottom or Fig. l0 when stretching double length blank'l ets. The bottom bar has a plain lower surface rounded at its edges, as at 46, so that the fold of a blanket can be easily slid aroundA and along said bar in adjusting it for stretching, but it also carries means adapted to be engaged with the fold or loop of a blanketwhere it passes around the bottom bar for preventing the blanket from shrinking-along the length of its bottom loop. The means may be adjustable lengthwise along the bottom bar but, as shown, comprises a. series of holding feet 47 each provided at its lower end with a small card cloth section 48, such hold- .g feet being slidable vertically in openings -9 in he bar 42 and equipped at their upper ends with suitable operating means, such as rotatable cam members 50 having linger operators 51 and movable to the two positions shown in Fig. 14 either to project their card cloth lower ends below the bottom of bar 42 or to withdraw the saine within the longitudinal slot 49 for engaging or freeing them with a fold of the blanket.

At its opposite ends bar 42 is guided for vertical movement in thestretching frame in a manner similar to the upper bars 32, being provided with extensions or saddles 53 traveling on the channel shaped projections of the end frame members and equipped with supports for bolts 54, one at each end of the bar, normally pressed by tension springs 55 into` latching engagement with notched members 56 on the end frame members. The bolts 54 are provided with lateral extensions 54a accessible for hand operation to enable them to be retracted and the lower bar to Abe adjusted up or down in the frame to the most convenient position for operation. Windlass and chain operating mechanism may be provided for this lower. bar if desired although it isuniiecessary and the lower bar is usually actuated by two operators, one at each end, by releasing its bolts and moving it up or down to a new positionv and there boltiiig it las-before.

Along the bottom of the stretching frame it is provided with a fairly wide floor 57 extending its entire length and from face to face, and along its opposite faces it is provided with doors or closures 58 suitably adjustable outwardly to an extended position, such as by being hinged to the frame at 59, said doors beingformed of metal plates with a suitable reenforcing frame. At one or both ends these doors may be provided with spring pressed latching pins 60 adapted in closed position of the doors, as indicated in full lines Fig. 12, to engage notches 61 (Fig. 16)

in the yframe and hold the doors parallel to 4 abu ico

lit

each other, but they may be' pulled down to the dotted line position Fig. 12 where they are held by any suitable means, such as the chains 62. In the latter position said doors H, and ioor 57 together form a trough in which H a blanket to be attached to the frame may be 15s, moved into and out of the dry room an d while in said room the doors occupy the full line position Fig. 12 and again torni troughs or conduits at the bottom of the trameto assist in directing the air currentlongitudinally along the told or loop ot the blanket to assist in drying the same. Both the trough at the bottom of the stretching trame and the loop of the fabric itself assist in promoting air flow toward the outlet. rlhe hot air supply enters the top ot the dry room and flows downwardly toward the outlet assisted by the natural tendency ot the heavier moisture laden air to sink. By mounting the return bar at the bottom ot the stretcher frame the stretching operation is such as to permit the blanket to naturally fall into a trough shaped fold as its two end edges are raised and applied by the operators to the upper holding bars. ln other words, the blanket will i naturally tall into a fold midway between its ends and thereby equalize the amount ot material on opposite faces ot the trame, which avoids undue stretching ot one half of the blanket such as may occur when the return j bar is placed at the top of the trame and the blanket is dragged over it to apportion it between the two faces of the stretcher trame. The horizontally adjustable vertical front holding unit may be provided with suitable -means for releasably latczhing or locking it in its adjusted position, such as a latch 63 pivoted at 64 Fig. l upon said adjustable unit and having its lower end formed as a toe held by the spring (35 in engagement with the teeth of the rack 27. A pull rod 66 eX- tends upwardly from said latch to any convenient point for operation to release the latch when adjusting these vertical end holding bars.

The rolling stretching trame is preferably also provided with means for releasably locking it when in the dry room, such as a spring bolt 16a 2 anapted to engage a portion ot the stationary dry room frame and releasiable by a pull chain 16?). The trame may be rolled hack and forth by the handle 67 on the outside ot its Jiront wall 16.

Doors or guards 58 may each be divided into two or more sections by proper breaks 68 Fig. 1 therein distributed along the length of bar 42, enabling different portions or all of the card cloth strips on the lower bars to be covered or exposed when drying small or narrow curtains or blankets, as will be readily understood.

The operation is as follows:

Assuming the parts in the position shown in Fig. l, the operator releases the bolt 16a and rolls the stretching trame forwardly until it is fully exposed outside of the dry room. A. pair of single blankets to be stretched, one on each face of the frame, is laid in the trough at the bottom of the stretching trame with the doors dropped to the dotted line position Fig. 12. The upper horizontal holding bars are now lowered to a position at about the height of the operators shoulders and one edge of a blanket is fastened along its upper holding strip, with due regard for longitudinally stretching the blanket along the strip and for aligning its rear vertical edge with the stationary rear holding bars 19, although the blanket is not yet s cured to such vertical bar. The operator now turns the handle 36 to raise the upper horizontal bars to bring the blanket to such a position that its lower edge can be conveniently attached to the lower holding bar. the latter having also been adjusted, as before described, to a convenient height. The guar/ls for the opposite carding strips on the lower bar are raised to the full line position Fig. 10 and the lower edOe of the blanket is secured to the carding wire strip thus ex posed. -landle 3G is turned a notch or two further to stretch the blanket and the windlass is locked with its pawl 37. The rear vertical end of the blanket is now fastened to the card cloth along the rear vertical bar, said card cloth lying in the same vertical plane as the card cloth of the upper and lower bars, as appears from Fig. 9. The front vertical holding bars are now released from the rack 27 and are rolled horizontally up to the fourth untastened edge of the blanket. which is attached to the carding strip of its adjustable front vertical bar, it being remembered that the holding strip of this har faces inwardly instead of outwardly so that it is in practically the same plane as the holding strips at top, bottom and rear, but nevertheless it is adjustable. rlhe o erator now pulls out on the front vertical ar by torce applied to the handle 81 to stretch the blanket horizontally and then locks the verti-v cal bar in the new adjusted position.

ln this manner two blankets, curtains or other articles of like size, usually thel blankets of a pair, may be applied to opposite faces of the same stretching frame and dried at the same time. The stretching operation is the same for both blankets and after application ot the blankets to the frame the doors 58 are turned up and the frame is rolled back into the dry room for the drying operation. The blankets are .removedv by reverse operations similar to those before described.

If a double size or double length blanket is to be dried it is preferably attached to the frame by two operators, although one operator can perform the work. Such a blanket is again laid in the trough at the bottom of the stretching frame, but in this operation the guards 44 are dropped to the dotted line position Fig. l0 to cover the lower card cloth strips. All of the loop engaging feet"47 are raised to withdraw their card cloth ends as appears at the left in Fig. 14. One end of the blanket is passed through the trough and beneath the lower holding bar to the second operator. Both operators attach their respective ends of the blanket to the card cloth on the Lipper horizontal stretching bars, in the manner before described for single blankets, with due regard for stretching the blanket horizontally and for the location of one of its vertical edges opposite the stationary Vertical holding bars. Handle 36 is now turned to elevate the upper holding bars until the loop formed at the middle of the blanket falls into a natural equalizing fold which engages the smooth rounded wooden surface of the lowei` bar, as in Fig. 10. Any tension on the blanket is slightly released and one operator lowers one of the holding feet 47 at the rear of the frame into engaging relation with that end of the loop of the blanket. One vertical edge of the blanket now lies adjacent the stationary vertical holding bar and the other edge of the blanket intei-sects the upper horizontal holding bar adjacent one of the indicators 4l, the posi' tion of which is noted by the operators as corresponding with some particular one of the presser feet 47 at the bottomk of the frame, which is then dropped into engaging position and the loop in the blanket is stretched horizontally to engage it with this presser foot. This operation stretches the looped portion of the blanket to the same width as its end edges. Adjustment of the blanket to the card cloth of the stationary vertical bars is next accomplished and then the adjustable front vertical bar is relased and is rolled up to the `free vertical edge of the blanket, and is there latched in position, and the vertical edge of the blanket is secured thereto as before, it being` understood that in the final operations the horizontal upper bars and vertical front bar are slightly adjusted to additionally stretch the blanket, as before. The frame is now rolled into the dry room. Release operations after drying are the reverse of those described as before.

rllhis stretching frame has the very distinct advantage'of placing all of the card cloth strips on one side of the frame in substantially the same plane, so that practically every inch along all four edges of the piece of work can be attached directly to carding strip, avoiding the gap of siX or eight inches of unfastened edge where the card cloth strips are in diderent planes. Furthermore, the frame is adapted for adjustment to take curtains or blankets of any size within its maXimum dimensions and is usable with like efficiency both for single and double blankets or other articles. Again, a double blanket is stretched With its longitudinal dimension vertical so that the apparatus utilizes more of the vertical and less of the horizontal dimension and is capable of increasing production beyond those stretchers where blankets are stretched With their longer dimension horizontal. Adjustability of the parts puts all of them within easy reach of the operator. Also, a double blanket stretched upon the frame is located in the best possible position when inthe dry room for the Vpromotion of active air currents contacting' with every inch of its surface.

That I claim is: p

l. Stretching apparatus, comprising a generally rectangular main frame, and a stretching frame supported thereon and including one fixed and three relatively adjustable holding bars, one of the three being provided with a shaft having pinions at its opposite ends, racks on the main frame along which said pinions travel to maintain said bar in parallel positions throughout its range of adjustment, said shaft-carrying bar being provided with releasable latching means engaging one of the Vracks on the frame, and

the other two .of the three bars being parallel to the racks and individually adjustable on the main frame. l

2. Stretching apparatus, comprising a main frame, means for supporting the same in a vertical plane, and a stretching frame supported upon the main frame and including` horizontal and vertical holding barsj Y rollers supporting the weight of one of the vertical bars and arranged to roll horizontally in the main frame, said roller supported vertical bar being connected to the main frame by rack and pinion mechanism for Y maintaining it in parallel positions throughout its-range of rolling motion in the malin frame.

3. Stretching apparatus, comprising a two-sided frame provided on each of its faces with a plurality of holding bars, a return bar extending along one edge of the frame and adjustable toward and from its opposite edge, and a kseries of individually adjustable loop holding devices spaced along the return bar and each including holding members inclined lengthwise of the bar to hold a loop of the fabric against shrinkage longitudinally of the return bar.

4. Stretching apparatus of the character described in claim 3, including gauge means on the bars along that edge of the frame opposite to the return bar and corresponding to the location of said individually adjustable loop holding devices.

5. Stretching apparatus, comprising a main frame, means for supporting the same in a vertical position, and stretching means thereon including a pair of vertical holding bars on each face of the frame, a two-sided upper horizontal holding bar, means for adjusting the same vertically, a bottom return bar, and temporary supporting means forming a shelf on the main frame below the return bar upon which an article to be looped around the return bar can be laid prior to its attachment to the stretching frame.

6. Stretching apparatus according to claim 5 in which said temporary supporting means includes an adjustable member movable outwardly to a position in which it extends beyond the sides of the main frame.

7. Stretching apparatus of the character described, comprising a two-sided generally rectangular frame, means for supporting the same in a vertical plane, holding means on opposite sides of the frame along its ve-rtical and upper horizontal edges, a horizontal re turn bar along its bottom edge, said return bar being provided on its opposite faces with holding means, and below the same with outwardly extending edge portions to prevent contact with the holding means of a double length article looped around the bar.

8. Stretching apparatus of the character described, comprising a two-sided generally rectangular frame, means for supporting the same in a vertical plane, holding means on opposite sides of the frame along its vertical and upper horizontal edges, a horizontal return bar along its bottom edge, said return bar being?l provided on its opposite Vfaces with holding means, and below the same with outwardly extending edge portions to prevent contact with the holding means of a double length article looped around the bar, and guarding plates extending along said return bar and adjustable to either ot two positions to expose or conceal its holding means.

9. Stretching apparatus, comprising a two-sided rigid main frame, means for supporting the same in a vertical plane, said frame being provided on each of its faces with a plurality of holding bars, connecting means coupling corresponding bars on its opposite faces to .move together as units, there being two parallel horizontal units each adjustable on the frame relatively to the other, and a third vertical unit perpendicular thereto and also adjustable on the main frame, to thereby accommodate like articles to be stretched on opposite faces of the frame.

10. Stretching apparatus according to claim 9, the lower horizontal unit being provided with fixed holdingT means and with adjustable guard means for exposing or concealing its holding means, whereby said unit with its holding means so concealed presents an unobstructed surface and serves as a return bar around which a long article may be looped.

1l. Stretching apparatus, comprising a.

two-sided main frame provided on each of its faces with a plurality of holding bars, corresponding bars on opposite faces being coupled together as units, part of said units being fixed and part being adjustable, to thereby accommodate like articles to be stretched on opposite sides of the frame, one of said adjustable units being in the form of a return bar around which a long article may be looped for stretching it upon both sides of the frame, saidreturn bar being provided with loop holding devices inclined lengthwise of the bar for engaging the end por tions of a loop to prevent its shrinkage endwise of the bar.

l2. A stretching apparatus, comprising a two-sided generally rectangular frame,means for supporting the same in a vertical plane, holding means on opposite sides of the frame along its vertical and upper horizontal edges, a horizontal return bar along the bottom edge of the frame adjustable in the main frame to various elevations, the opposed upper horizontal holding means being coupled te move as a unit, means for adjusting said unit vertically in the main frame and for latehing it in any position to which it is adjusted, the horizontal return bar being provided with iixed holding means and with adjustable guard means for exposing or concealing the same, and the main frame below said return bar being provided on its opposite faces with hinged members swinging on horizontal axes outwardly away from each other and from the return bar to provide an extended support for temporarily holding articles to be looped around the return bar.

13. Stretching apparatus of the character described, comprising a two-sided generally rectangular frame, means for supporting the same in a vertical plane, holding means on opposite sides of the frame along its vertical and Vupper horizontal edges, a horizontal return bar along its bottom edge, and means whereby said bottom return bar may be fixed at various relevations in the main frame.

14. Stretching apparatus of the character described, comprising a two-sided generally rectangular frame, means for supporting the same in a vertical plane, holding means on opposite sides of the frame along its vertical and upper horizontal edges, a horizontal return bar along its bottom edge.v said bottom return bar being provided with fixed holding deans, and movable guards adjustable to two positions to either expose or conceal said fixed holding means.

Intestimony whereof I hereby aiix my signature.

JOHN E. MCCARTHY.

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